


Maturity

by GSWritings



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: 5 years after season 5, Alpha Derek, Deputy Stiles Stilinski, Kidnapping, M/M, Mexico
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-21
Updated: 2016-08-21
Packaged: 2018-08-10 06:37:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 8,365
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7834081
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GSWritings/pseuds/GSWritings
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>People can make many mistakes in their lifes. They can chose the wrong partner or leave the place they actually belong to. Some mistakes cannot be corrected when we finally mature.<br/>Others can.</p><p>And there he was, back in Mexico five years after his first visit with Scott and the others to save Derek. Just this time he was all alone and of course the Calaveras didn’t take long to find him. He was absolutely fucked up.</p><p>Or where Stiles ends up in Mexico with a girlfriend he isn't exactly on the same page with and runs into a familiar face during the flight.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This work was written for the last round of the sterek summer spectacle 2016. Thanks a lot to the amazing staff who organized the event!  
> Team: The Sunny Squad
> 
>  **After Event Fixes**  
>  After my Computer died on me and I had to come up with something completely new within two days I couldn't have this fic corrected as it should have been. Now those issues have been fixed so you guys can have a better reading time with this. Sorry for the trouble before.  
> Also the graphic didn't exist for the event but I made it for the reposting in my blog and added it here, too.
> 
>  **Thanks To**  
>  ⇒ [himmelsdieb](http://himmelsdieb.tumblr.com) for holding my hand, not only during this fic, but also the whole event. Your constant support and feedback propells me on to do this stuff.
> 
> ⇒ [bleep0bleep (tumblr)](http://bleep0bleep.tumblr.com) for volunteering as beta reader and the amazing work you did with this fic! I am honestly glad you do this for me. Thanks a lot!  
> Please, guys, look [here (AO3)](http://archiveofourown.org/users/bleep0bleep/pseuds/bleep0bleep) for her own works! I am sure some of you already knew her. You can spend whole lives reading what she already finished! xD
> 
> ⇒ Again to the [sterekshelter](http://sterekshelter.tumblr.com) for hosting this event. It was so much fun and I still hope you guys chose to do it again next year.
> 
> ⇒ And of course to **The Sunny Squad** , my lovely team mates, for the great time with you. <3
> 
> ⇒ Last but not least: Thank you to **all the voters and all the people who left comments, kudos, favs or anything else** to reach out and let me know how you liked it. All kinds of arts are a communication after all and therefore those actions of you mean the world. Thank you for taking the time to do so!  
> 

“I already told you: She’s dead!” Stiles exclaimed, but regarding the look on Araya Calavera’s face she still wasn’t impressed.

“Yes of course _she_ is.”

Stiles watched her move around the table slowly and despite her words he could feel himself tense up with each step she made. She didn’t believe him, not a bit. He had no idea why she was accentuating the word and whatever she was up to it couldn’t be good. His gaze scampered to the big man in the corner of the room and back to the wicked smile on her face.

“Look. I don’t know how to prove it to you but she came to us, she tried to kill one of us and was killed herself. That’s all I can tell you. I don’t understand, why after five years you’re still after her, but whatever it is, I guess it’s solved. She’s dead. No desert wolf left to hunt, okay? I’m just here on a vacation trip.”

“Mhm… bad choice for a vacation trip, Mr Stilinski,” she said. And, God, this was exactly what he’d thought to himself. Why Mexico? Why out of all places, Mexico? Because he couldn’t convince his girlfriend to choose another place.

“Just think about all the culture!” Susannah had said. “It isn’t even expensive, Stiles. Just this trip and the next one will be your choice.”

And there he was, back in Mexico five years after his first visit with Scott and the others to save Derek. Just this time he was all alone and of course the Calaveras didn’t take long to find him. He was absolutely fucked up.

Araya had finally reached his chair and leaned down to him, making him gulp heavily.

“Last time you said you didn’t know anything at all and look at what you can tell us now. I think we can perfectly rely on you here, Mr. Stilinski. Can’t we, Servero?”

She didn’t even look away, when the man approved, nor did Stiles. His heart was racing, he could feel the tension in his arms.

“This is because that happened _after_ we met.”

“Here is what we offer you. I am sure you are just confused, right? You certainly don’t want to have any secrets from us again. So we want to give you a bit time to think about it. And when you remember what you know about the desert wolf tomorrow evening, you will come back and tell us.”

Stiles already wanted to answer, tell her, that he _couldn’t_ but when he heard her next words he stopped mid track.

“Otherwise we might be forced to have a nice little chat with your girlfriend. Maybe she will be more eager to help us out.”

He only stared at her bright, smiling and oh so satisfied face.

“You can’t do that! She knows nothing, not even about this world.”

“In this case you should make sure this isn’t happening, should you?”

“But I _can’t_ tell you anything else about the desert wolf! I _can’t_ because there’s nothing I know!”

“Well, then you might have to find out. Ask your little wolf friends. We’ll see you tomorrow evening. Welcome to Mexico - Stiles.”

And with those words Araya left him alone with the big guy who immediately began staring at him.

“Come on! You can’t-!”

Severo stepped forward in a not so slightly threatening manner and Stiles stopped moving after her.

“Wow. Relax, buddy, I was just- okay, okay. I’ll leave. Fine? I’ll leave.”

And he did. Without any idea what he was supposed to do.

***

Fact was Scott and the others were all too far away. Some already working as he was and others in their senior years of college. There was no way anyone could possibly have helped him. He should be able to help himself by now. He was a deputy. He was five years older. The point was being a deputy didn’t include battle training against mafia like professional monster hunters and certainly not being outnumbered while having someone to protect.

So when he sneaked out of the hotel room he was sharing with his now deeply sleeping girlfriend Stiles still had no idea how to get out of this situation. He’d thought about fleeing back home but the Calaveras had followed them to Beacon Hills once and they would do it again so this wasn’t an option.

He never should have come here to begin with. He should have made pitch clear that he would never travel to Mexico in his life, should have risked that Susannah was going to be mad at him and find a safer place for their vacation trip. Even Texas would have been okay, anything but Mexico. The point was saying no wasn’t exactly his specialty. He’d never been good at it in the past and even five years later he still didn’t learn it. Plus Susannah and him weren’t really at the same page currently.

The only thing Stiles knew to do was what he’d always been best at: investigation. And maybe he’d find a way to trick the Calaveras and stop this crazy shit from happening.

Mexico’s streets were lively at night and Stiles wondered who of all those people around would tell the Calaveras that he’d been sneaking around in the night. They had a lot of connections here. He on the other hand - none. The main premise was pretending everything was normal so he’d tried to hide his nervousness and just walked past them. It didn’t took long until Stiles had reached their main building and found a separate alley to hide in and watch their building from.

He was still standing there, hidden in the darkness, thinking about a way to sneak in or get any useful information at all. All entries were guarded, though, the windows closed. They were all armed with multiple weapons, he only had his service revolver. There was no way he could shoot all of them before they killed him, not to mention that he was done killing people. The one time it accidentally happened had been awful enough.

Stiles sighed and leaned back when a hand was pressed over his mouth and made all his instincts scream in alarm. He tried to fight it instantly but a strong arm closed around his arms and waist almost the same moment like an iron chain. It was impossible to move.

“Look what we have here…” a voice snarled right beside his ear. Stiles realized claws at the hand over his mouth. A were-creature?

“A little Calavera spy. I hope it’s worth it because you will have to pay a high price.”  
  
Stiles wanted to tell him he was wrong, that he wasn’t a spy but the hand muffled all his sounds. A second later it was gone, something hit his head and the world went black.


	2. Chapter 2

Pain. Pure, damn pain. Stiles moaned and opened his eyes slowly. He could see figures and a small light but it took another try until the world stopped being so blurry.

“Look. Sleeping Beauty is back with us again.”

It was the same accent rich voice from the alley and now Stiles could see the face it belonged to. The man had typical mexican features, a slight beard and tired eyes. He was standing in the middle of an almost empty room right in front of Stiles. There were two other man behind him and, fuck, Stiles was handcuffed. The naked light bulb made it seem as if he had a halo.

“So let’s see what you can tell us about your spying mission.”

“Oh God, not again…” he murmured realizing how hoarse his voice sounded. How long had he been unconscious?

“What was that?”

“I said: Not again.”

The man leaned down to him.

“I don’t think you understand the situation you are in little spy.”  
  
“I think I understand my situation perfectly well. I am held captive by some simple minded werewolves for being a damn Calavera  spy. I don’t know how you got to this funny idea but the Calavera’s are probably the last people I’d think of teaming up with, okay? I am not their spy. I am just on a vacation trip.”

The men started to laugh.

“A vacation trip! That’s certainly the worst excuse one of their spies had ever used!”

“It’s not an excuse! I am done with this crazy supernatural hunter stuff! If I were a spy of theirs would they interrogate me then? Would they threaten me?”

“We don’t buy your little stories, spy. Tell us your mission and we might think about letting you go.”

“I am not telling stories! They want the desert wolf, okay? But the desert wolf is dead! I don’t know anything else and if I don’t give them the information they want they are going for my girlfriend so where ever you brought me, I need to get back as soon as possible!”

The wolves stayed silent for a moment. Stiles had no idea what it was that he said. He just watched them exchange gazes until he couldn’t bear it anymore.

“What? What is it? It is the truth! They want the information until tomorrow evening and even if I wanted to I just can’t give it to them because the damn desert wolf is dead okay? Like absolutely deadly dead. Like gone forever. If you don’t let me go my girlfriend is lost!”

“Calm down.”

The man was coming closer and a moment later Stiles didn’t find himself punched but freed from his handcuffs. His brows narrowed in confusion when he looked at his hands first and then at the wolves.

“That sounds just like the shit they’d do” the man said.

“You let me go?”

“We do. But in this city with the Calavera’s behind you you’re lost.”

Stiles sighed.

“There have to be a way. I cannot let them go after her!”

“You’re right about the desert wolf. I don’t know how you know it but you’re right. This is not who they are after, though.”

Stiles blinked at those words and remembered how Araya had accentuated the word she during their interrogation.

“There’s rumors about a very strong wolf that’s protecting young werewolves from the hunters living in the desert. No one knows who he is but if you need help with the Calaveras you should talk to him. He’s the only one that can beat them.”

“But.. if no one knows who it is, how am I supposed to find him?”

This time another one of the men answered that had been standing behind the first one quietly during their whole conversation.

“Rumor says you don’t have to find him. He will find you if you enter his territory.”

One of the men left, another one was already following.

“Get up. We’re bringing you back.”

“That’s it? I am supposed to run after a rumor? What if it isn’t even true? What if I will just waste all the time I have?”

The remaining men looked at him.

“Well then you’re doomed I guess.”


	3. Chapter 3

When he sneaked back into the hotel room Stiles felt even worse than when he’d left. This situation seemed to get constantly worse. According to his experience with supernatural rumors there was always  _ something _ behind it. But that didn’t mean it would be in your favor. Chances were whoever or whatever this new desert wolf was would be the ultimate threat and the last step to lose all hopes to escape.

But Stiles also knew the Calaveras and he knew they  _ wouldn’t _ let go. And there was nowhere to hide. He could give them wrong information but they’d check on it and the situation would get even worse. Of course he could also leed them into to the desert wolf but what if the wolf wasn’t bad and he was sentencing someone innocent to death? What if the rumors were rumors after all and he would end up all alone with very angry Calaveras in the middle of the desert where no one would notice it if he was killed and left to rot in the sun?

No matter what he’d do there just didn’t seem to be an escape. The closest person to help was his father whom he didn’t want to involve, who probably wouldn’t be here in time anyways and have exactly no authority.

Maybe all they could do was going back to Beacon Hills after all. At least this would give them a bit time, authority to block the Calaveras out by law. But would it help? But he would win time. He would actually win time.

He was buried deep in those thoughts when he made his way from the door through the dark room without much orientation. He knew in which direction the bed was and slowly walked towards it, trying not to wake Susannah up. 

Maybe he actually should call Scott or Malia or … who knows. Yeah even Deaton. After most of the pack was gone he was the only one Stiles and his father were working with when another supernatural threat happened to stop by. He could know something. Maybe even about the new desert wolf.

Something hit his foot and the next moment Stiles felt his body falling forward. Instinctively he tried to get a hold to something but this only caused more to fall down with him and more noise. When he finally hit the floor there was a small light cast upon the sideboard decoration he’d apparently taken down with him and a pair of all too familiar fluffy bunny slippers Susannah always left where she shouldn’t.

“Stiles?”

And for God’s sake she was awake.

“It’s alright. I am fine. I just tripped over your damn slippers again. Why do you keep leaving them in the middle of the way?”

He saw her blinking at him sleepily from where she was sitting on the bed.

“What are you doing?”

“Nothing. I just went to the toilet,” Stiles replied, getting back to his feet as quickly as possible. No way he was gonna say: “I was stalking monster hunters before the monsters kidnapped me and released me with even less options to get you saved from my screwed up supernatural past.”

“Fully clothed?” she asked.

“Eh… yeah. I was cold. So I put on more clothes.”

Stiles sees her confused expression realizing how stupid it was what he just said. He was screwing up. He was absolutely screwing up.

“Ninety degrees at night and you are cold.”

“Er… yeah I um… I don’t feel very well. That’s why I went to the bathroom you know? I uh… I think maybe I am getting ill or something.”

Susannah sighed and got out of bed to walk over to him.

“You’re not making any sense.”

“Because I am ill?”

Susannah sighed as if she was talking to a child and maybe she was but that was only what she was allowed to see.

“No, because you’ve been acting strange since we arrived. You never really listen, you suddenly jump around the corner, always watching your surroundings…”

And apparently she was more aware of what was going on than she was supposed to.

“Yeah that’s because of the … tricky thieves I read about. There are dozens of them around here. I just want to make sure nothing’s gonna happen.”

“But you’re not at work. This is our vacation trip. I know this wasn’t your first choice but maybe you can at least try to have a little bit fun. Lay your work to rest once in awhile. Not try to make me feel bad about this place just to prove your point!”

She threw her hands into the air and turned to go back to bed without another word. Stiles knew he screwed up and it wasn’t an unusual thing. She’d never understood what he said and not only because it was about all the things she didn’t know about. All she wanted was having a good life and the normality she offered here was actually what Stiles loved most about her. He just wished she’d stop complaining about his work, she’d stop accusing him of those kind of things.

She’d stop making him feel so alone with this.

He picked up all the stuff he’d accidentally thrown down before he turned to bed, too. When he turned to it he stumbled over something suspiciously fluffy between his feet again but this time he could steady himself better. An exhausted sigh escaped Stiles before he got out of his clothes and turned off the light.

Most of all he couldn’t ignore what was going on  _ now _ . Of course she couldn’t understand and this time it wasn’t her fault. This demanding nature of hers didn’t make it anyhow easier, though.


	4. Chapter 4

“Stiles, come to bed now.”

“Yeah. Just give me a minute.”

He heard her sighing and knew exactly what was going to come but as much as he didn’t like it he just couldn’t take care of this now.

“You’re staring out the window for hours now, Stiles! For the last time: I am not leaving.  Trying to ruin it so I give in is really the worst.”   
  
“I am not trying to ruin the trip. I am just watching something. What's wrong about watching something that’s interesting?”

She started over again and Stiles let her talk. He just didn’t know what to do. He’d tried the whole day to convince her to leave but she’d refused each time he’d tried. Now it was evening and it was only a matter of time until the Calaveras were coming for her.

“Stiles!”

Finally he turned towards her.

“What? Look, I am trying to enjoy this, but whatever I do, you complain. I told you I need to get back, I am not well, you don’t like it. Fine. But at least let me look out of the window and think!”

She laughed ironically. “Think. So what are you thinking about again? In the middle of our vacation? Your job? Is it that? Aren’t you able to let go of your crimes for just one week?”   
  
“Who the hell said this? I-” He sighed and started again more calmly. “Susannah, please. I can’t do this now. Please.”

She snorted and laid back down.

“Fine. Do whatever you want.”

The room was silent for once. She probably wouldn’t talk to him for a while. He hated this, all of it but it wasn’t the biggest problem he currently had.

Stiles’ gaze went back out of the window - and he froze. The Calaveras were coming right at their hotel and he’d almost missed it. Without a second look he jumped from the stool he was sitting on and over to Susannah.

“Get out! We gotta go! Get out!” he said gripping her arm to pull her out of bed against her resistance.

“What?! Stiles it’s in the middle of the night!”

“I know! And we have to leave! NOW!”

Finally she slipped out of his grip and pulled away.

“But why?! Are you totally crazy now?!”

Stiles stilled. They were running out of time. They would be here soon and if she kept screaming they would find them quickly. He needed an answer, any answer.

“Remember about me feeling bad? I found out there’s a bad illness going around. We need to get checked. Now!”

Stiles ran over to the wardrobe he hid his gun in and let the door stand open just enough so she couldn’t see what he was doing. If she ever found out he took his gun with him, Susannah would definitely think he’s gone crazy now.

“In the middle of the night? Stiles, we can go tomorrow.”

Why couldn’t she just go along? Why did she always have to complain about everything? 

“NO! We can’t! I feel - ahh!”

He screamed as if in pain, pretending to be ill and finally that worked. For once Susannah stopped complaining and came over.

“Stiles, what’s going on? Are you alright?”

“Hurry! We gotta go! I can’t take it anymore!”

“Just give me a second.”

“Hurry!”

And she did while Stiles tried to have another look out of the window again, pretending he needed something to lean on. The Calaveras were already out of sight - what meant they were also already in the building. It wasn’t big.

The feeling of the gun in it’s holster, hidden under Stiles shirt got more and more present when she catched up and he dragged her down the floor to the emergency exit.

“Where are you going?”

“It’s faster.”

He pushed her around the corner and looked back before he hurried after her.

“God… hurry!”

“Maybe if it hurts so much the doctor should come here instead,” she said.She might have been right - if this really was a medical emergency.

“No, it’s close. Just hurry.”

And they hurried down the stairs and out of the building within a few minutes.

“You really alright?”

“Yeah. Go on. I can make it.”

He let her help him walk, ignored the people staring. His only concern were the Calaveras and when they finally reached the other side of the street he could see Araya leaving the emergency exit. Fear raised again and he made another painful sound.

“Let's hurry! Faster!”

“Stiles, I really don’t know you should run so much if-”

“I just  _ need _ to see a doctor soon. Hurry on!”

Again they did. Corner around corner. Stiles kept looking back and every now and then he could see the Calaveras right on their heels closing more and more distance with each corner. Finally the hospital appeared between old houses.

“We’re almost there. You alright? You can wait here-”   
  
“No. Go on. Quick.”

Stiles sped up and almost pushed her through the door before he turned around out of breath to look for their persecutors. He found them within seconds and looked straight into Araya’s eyes before she nodded into another direction and they left.

Relieve flooded Stiles and he let himself fall over without a second thought, trying to catch his breath. For now he did it. He had no idea how much time they won but for now he did it.

“You’re not ill, are you?”

Just then Stiles realized that he blew his cover. Susannah was watching him carefully with her eyes filled of disappointment.

“I-”

“No, I don’t wanna hear any more of this shit. You lied to me, Stiles. You act in the worst ways of crazy for the whole vacation. If I wouldn’t know it better I’d think you’re on the run! I-”

“That’s because I am!”

Suddenly she was silent and just stared at him.

“Look. I get it. You’re mad and you have all the reason to be. This is not how this vacation was planned. This is not how I planned it either. But you have to trust me right now, okay?”

The expression on her face changed and she seemed a little bit shocked now. Something was bothering her and after a short moment of hesitation she finally dared to ask her question carefully.

“...You are a deputy. You can’t have a criminal record, can you?”

“ _ What _ ?”

“A criminal record.”

“Why on earth would I have a criminal record? You - You really think I  am that kind of guy?”

From all the things she’d already accused him of this was definitely the worst.

“Well, what are you running from then?”

Stiles sighed. He was exhausted. His nerves were still flattering and he knew the danger was not over yet. They would come again sooner or later, maybe even wait for them outside the hospital. There was no way Stiles could beat them. They needed help. And soon.

“This is a very difficult thing to explain and a very long story. One that I cannot tell you right now. But you will understand soon, okay? You just have to trust me on this. We need to meet someone now.”


	5. Chapter 5

They didn’t talk since they’d entered the Jeep. Stiles had kept off the music and as soon as they’d left the city it became not only quiet but also very dark. Stiles had no idea for how long they were driving through the desert by now but so far no superwolf showed up and he started to question this decision.

Maybe it was only rumors after all. Maybe he lived a lot more deeper in the desert and they’d never even reach him or this damn superwolf took a super day off.

“You said we’d visit someone,” Susannah began slowly and broke the silence. Stiles already knew whatever she was going to say wouldn’t be good. A quick glance told him she was still staring out of the window although they could hardly see anything in the darkness.

“Yeah. Just a bit longer. It cannot take too much anymore.” But honestly Stiles had no idea. He didn’t even know where they were or for how long they would have any fuel left.

“Stiles.” Her voice was more strict now announcing the outburst that was coming.“ We are in the middle of nowhere. No one lives here!”

“Just wait a bit longer. I told you to trust me.”

“Yeah and I did but all it got me is being stranded in the middle of the desert without water. Without food. Without any idea how to get back and without any answers, too! I am so sick of this! Just... take me back!”

But back was back to the Calaveras and Stiles couldn’t do that.

“Susannah, please!”

“No not please! This is crazy! I just wanna get back so turn a-”

Right that moment something heavy landed on the top of his Jeep and she screamed. Stiles struggled to keep the car under control and they came to a halt.

All he could see was the same thick darkness from before. And beside Susannah’s fast breathing there was no other sound than the car’s engine.

“What was that?” Susannah eventually asked whispering.

He had no idea. Thousands of supernatural monsters jumped into his mind and all of them were pretty much deadly. Whatever it was might be still on the roof of the Jeep. Getting out of the car might be the most stupid thing to do now but he could see that Susannah was already close to bolting. On this sandy ground he wouldn’t be able to shake the thing off driving either.

“Stay in here!” he said.

“Stiles!” she hissed. “Something is on our roof!”

“Stay here.”

He picked up his gun, ignoring Susannah’s gasp and prepared himself for what was about to come. A deep breath, his fingers gripped the clip that was going to open the door.

“What are you doing? Don’t!”

“Stay here,” he said again and rushed out. The same moment Stiles turned and raised his gun, expecting something to fly straight at him, crash him to the ground. But there was nothing coming. Just one of the wolves who had kidnapped him looking down at him.

“Do you think that’s funny? You almost scared her to death!” he exclaimed angrily, keeping his gun raised. The wolf however seemed nothing more than amused.

“You didn’t say you’d bring her with you.”

“I had no choice! They were already after us! What are you doing here anyways? I thought it was your superwolf who was going to pick me up, not you. Was this all a set up?”

“He did.”

Stiles stopped moving. The voice was coming from right behind him, calm and steady. A voice he knew well. But that couldn’t be true … could it? Slowly he turned around and looked straight at Derek Hale.


	6. Chapter 6

“So basically they aren’t searching for you but a crazy alpha werewolf that’s hanging around town and trying to mark it his territory but as usual the Calaveras don’t give a shit and refuse to believe it, as they refuse to believe everything that they didn’t make up themselves?” Stiles asked from the chair he was sitting on in the wolves’ nest.

It had been a surprise that the rumored, mighty desert wolf turned out to be Derek Hale of all people, but seeing a familiar face had been the biggest relief in a long time. Susannah saw it completely differently because the whole all your nightmares are real thing had been the worst kind of surprise for her. She was still sitting silently in a corner of the room, eying everyone suspiciously.

One of the other wolves laughed at his words.

“I like his way of summaries, although they’re a little bit … long,” he said.

“You never told us there are so funny people over in Beacon Hills.”

Surprised and grinning crookedly Stiles straightened up a bit.“ Yeah. Yeah there are! And very grumpy sourwolves without any sense of humor.”

Derek just frowned at him while the others laughed exactly the way he used to five years ago. Some things didn’t seem to change.

“So what are we gonna do about him?” Stiles asked.

“We?!” Susannah bursted in. She stared at Stiles as if he’d just said the most insane thing she had ever heard. From her point of view it probably was.

“You don’t really plan to interfere! This is crazy, Stiles!”

“So what kind of choices do we have?” he countered.

“The Calaveras are after us. After you too by the way, just in case you forgot and they won’t stop unless they get the desert-”

A loud bang interrupted Stiles mid-sentence. Everyone swirled around and within seconds the first wolves run off for the entrance.

“They’re here!” someone shouted. Another one roared and made Susannah jump with a shriek.

“Block the entrance!”

It was a simple command and although Stiles had learned Derek wasn’t their alpha all the wolves obeyed quickly.

“You stay here! Keep an eye on her.”

“Thank you, Derek. I’d never had the idea if you wouldn’t have told me.”

But the older one only raised his brows questioningly before his eyes burned bright blue and he was running after his comrades. Stiles turned to look after Susannah and found her with wide eyes at the back of the room. She was leaning onto the wall as if she wanted to crawl through it and looked close to do something stupid again. He could feel her. He really could.

“It will be alright,” Stiles said reassuring. “Derek’s good at this. The Calaveras, too but… He’s done this before. He’ll beat them, okay?”

The noises of gunshots and screams echoing through the tunnels didn’t exactly backup his words. Stiles glanced at them nervously. He didn’t want to stand here and do nothing. Most of all the sounds were getting louder and that meant they probably weren’t as safe here as Stiles would like them to be. He needed to find a way to get Susannah safe and see what was happening.

“I can’t believe you’re alright with this! They are monsters!”, she shouted at him and got all his attention back. Alright with this? Was that really how it looked to her? Maybe. Yeah, maybe he’d gotten awfully used to all this shit.

“Well I wasn’t at first…”, Stiles answered slowly and remembered how all of this had started. How terrified he’d been and how unbelievable all of this seemed to be. Now he didn’t question it anymore. But he still was terrified. And the things they’d experienced over the time? The fear, the losses...

“And I am still not…” he finally said. “But a friend of mine once said something very important: Not all monsters do monstrous things.”

Another scream echoed through the tunnel, and a roar louder than the others. To his side Susannah instantly got more nervous despite all his affords.

“They’re coming closer!” she said.

“Yeah…”

Stiles looked around. He needed a plan. Something to defend themselves.

“Over here,” he said, hurrying her over to one of the shelves.

“Sit down and stay there, okay? I’ll figure something out and be right back. Whatever happens: Stay!”

“Don’t leave!”   
  
“I am not leaving. Just a minute.”

And he had to hurry on. He went through the cupboards, trying to find anything to block the door but there was nothing. The cupboard wouldn’t move either.

“Stiles!”

He swore silently and run over to her, pulling out his gun again to kneel down beside her, ready to shoot how he’d learned it. Good thing: It was loaded with wolfsbane filled bullets so they’d work for human and wolves either way - just in case. Bad thing: How that sounded one gun alone wouldn’t help.

And they were still coming closer. 

Susannah pressed herself to his side. He could feel her trembling in the rhythm of his own fluttering heartbeat and his mind was racing. There had to be something, whatever it was but there had to be  _ something  _ they could do.

Stiles straightened up when his eyes stopped at a mark that looked strangely familiar.

“Wait here.”

He hurried over to the wall against her protest, eyes darting to the entrance and pulled away the fabric someone had hang over it. He knew it. There was a triskele imprinted on the wall right beside a very strange crack from top to bottom.

“Come on Derek. It can’t be that hard, can it?” Stiles murmured. If it was what he suspected there had to be some kind of mechanism to open it up. Furiously his hands wandered over the stone, trying to find whatever would help but there was nothing.

“Stiles! They’re almost here!”

“I know! I need to open this up!”

He hammered against it, went through the shelf and threw half of it’s insides onto the floor in the process. Still there was nothing.

“What do you mean? It’s a wall!”

“It’s a secret escape route if I am right.”   
  
“What? This is not a tale! They’re gonna kill us!”

“I  _ know _ , okay? And your constant screaming is leading them to us all the more quickly. Stop sitting around and help find the mechanism!”

He’d never done this. Not even once had he turned the charges at her but right now there was no time for discussions. The gunshots were right in front of the door. He could hear Derek roar over the noise and it was just a matter of time until they would run out of options.

And surprisingly she stopped. He could see her gulping heavily but she stopped and she got up to actually help.

It was when she left the spot behind the shelf that he saw another triskele and narrowed his eyes. Stiles hurried over and found a small pin that he could press onto. For a second everything got even louder, when the wall actually swung open and gave sight onto a dark tunnel. Both of them stared into the darkness for a second, when something fell against the door.

“We gotta go!”

Stiles got back onto his feed. There had been a flashlight in the cupboard that he went to get and run back to Susannah. He was just about to enter the tunnel, when he heard Derek scream and stopped mid track to look back. He knew that voice. He knew that scream. And he had the worst memories of its cause.

“Stiles!” Susannah said and pulled at his arm. “Come on!”

He hesitated, looked at the door but finally another roar became audible and Stiles knew that one to. So he turned around and run off with her into the tunnel.

It was dark but not long. When they left the tunnel warm desert air greeted them and it was silent again. Deeply silent.

“Where are we?” Susannah asked. She was as breathless as he was and both looked back into the darkness.

“I don’t know. Probably on the other side of the temple.”

Again Susannah was looking back.

“Do you think they’ll come after us?”

Stiles made a face. 

“Trust me on this: They always follow you as long as they can.”

He could see the fear rising in her eyes again.

“So what are we gonna do?”

Stiles was already looking around, trying to make out where exactly the tunnel had lead them and where the original entrance was. His eyes landed on two cars perfect for the desert. He bet those were Derek’s. By now Susannah had seen them too and was already walking towards them.

“That’s perfect!” she exclaimed and walked even faster.

“Wait”, Stiles said, looking back into the tunnel. He had no idea how the others were. He couldn’t just leave, could he? But if they needed an escape a running motor would help a lot.

“Why? There are monsters and the Mexican mafia coming out of that tunnel any second. I am not gonna wait!”

“We cannot leave unt- Susannah, stop!”

Turning around to explain himself he’d detected something moving behind the cars. She stopped at least and turned around but she didn’t come back. The thing behind the cars, however, was coming closer already. Stiles ran.

“Come back! Come back!” he shouted to warn her but she wouldn’t move, not even when he reached her and pulled her back. Just when she followed his gaze and Susannah detected whatever it was, too her resistance stopped with a gasp.

“What is this?!”

Red eyes emerged from the darkness right over the hood of the last car. Even in the darkness Stiles could see the fangs slightly lighter in the moonlight.

“The alpha...”

With a roar the beast jumped towards them and everything went back to chaos.

“ _ Run _ !” Stiles shouted.

“Into the tunnel!”

They both ran but a second later something heavy landed right on top of them, crushing them into the warm sand. Susannah screamed and Stiles struggled to get loose, get his gun at least but it was too heavy. Her screams were deafening and Stiles couldn’t tell if she was screaming from pain or fear or even both. His heart raced, beating heavily in his head, only predominated by the angry roar of the alpha.

 

_ They’d die. They’d die right here and it would be his fault for coming to begin with. _

 

But then another roar answered and the weight was gone. Stiles blinked surprised but it took only a second for him to catch up and turn onto his back. A few meters down to the cars the alpha was rolling in the sand, Derek right on top of him. Susannah was still screaming, her voice piercing through the sounds of their fight.

“Susannah!”

Stiles hurried over to her without even getting onto his feet properly. She was kicking and screaming but he couldn’t see any injuries so far.

“Susannah! It’s me! It’s alright now, it’s over! Look at me!”

It took a while but finally she stopped. The terror was still bright in her eyes. Her cheeks were wet but no blood was to be seen anywhere. Relief washed over Stiles. 

On the other side of the cars it had gone quiet, very quiet. He got wary but when Stiles looked back his view was blocked by the cars. Someone was lying on the floor, not moving.

Stiles swallowed heavily and got back onto his feed. He moved slowly, wary. He had a great record of memories to guess what he would see. To know about the blood and all the ugly details - and the overwhelming feeling of loss if it was the wrong person.

He shouldn’t go, he knew. It was fifty to fifty he was running into his dead but his feet kept moving. He just hoped.

Two red eyes looked up at him from a bloody mess, when he passed the car. Hands covered in blood hanging helpless in the air where the eyes had looked at. Broken eyes, sad, confused.

But all Stiles could feel was relief. He took a deep breath and sank into the sand beside Derek.


	7. Chapter 7

It was funny how something seemed to be missing in the hotel room that never belonged there. The spaces in the wardrobe where her clothes had been, the spot in the entrance where no fluffy bunny slippers were threatening people to stumble into their death.

“You were right,” she had said. “I understand, now. … But I don’t think I can do this, Stiles. All these….” She’d been flailing through the air with her arms but Stiles had already understood.

“... _ monsters _ !”

“I know. I understand.”

He’d felt exactly the same way when this started. He’d felt as if he was going crazy so many times he barely knew the difference between their quiet times and the real normal anymore.

“I am sorry, Stiles,” she whispered.

But Stiles has had friends to protect, people he couldn’t leave behind. He couldn’t just turn around and pretend he didn’t know someone was about to die, no matter who that was.

The point was Susannah could. And maybe this was the reason why he’d started a relationship with her at all despite it never really worked. The promise of normality he couldn’t have. The promise of someone being there when everyone else had left for their lives. It had been nice, for a while. Before the truth had caught up.

He didn’t even know how to feel now that it was over. 

A movement in the door caught his attention and Stiles found Derek hovering in the doorway, his eyes darting through the room.

“Where’s your girlfriend?” he asked.

“She’s gone. Couldn’t handle all the monster stuff. Good thing she doesn’t know I’ve been one, too, huh?” he joked. Derek’s eyes stayed indifferent and after a moment Stiles broke away from the intimidating light green to look into the blue morning sky beyond the window.

“I am sorry,” he heard the older one say and shrugged.

“Don’t be. I guess I was going to break up anyways since it wasn’t … right.”

There was a short moment of silence before he said: “But you know what the irony is? There I thought this relationship wouldn’t work because she didn’t know. Now it’s over because she does.”

There was no answer and after a moment Stiles looked back at the older one.

“So what about you? New alpha and all.”

Derek didn’t answer right away and for a second Stiles thought there wouldn’t be an answer at all. But eventually he said:

“I had no plans to become an alpha again. A new alpha will cause new interest in this place. Interest I didn’t want to cause.”

Concerns that Stiles knew were true.

“Yeah…” he said nodding slowly, his eyes wandering around the room again until Derek said:

“Any plans for the rest of your vacation trip?”


	8. Chapter 8

Derek had taken him back to his pack’s - that now had eventually come to be a real one. To his surprise there were even more wolves than the few Stiles had seen so far. Were creatures of different kinds and despite the fact that Derek hadn’t been an alpha until yesterday, all of them had followed him. It was the complete difference from what had happened in Beacon Hills years ago.

”I want to show you something” Derek had said. “It will help Scott if there’s another issue with a young wolf.”

“I doubt that” Stiles had answered casually, causing Derek to look at him with raised brows.

“He’s at college. Most of the old pack is gone for a job. The vet stuff takes a bit longer than the others so he’s not back yet.”

Derek nodded slowly and Stiles could swear there was more he was thinking but he didn’t ask and Derek didn’t say anything.

The older one had called a few times afterwards and they’d ended up spending most parts of the remaining vacation together. Stiles had a lot to learn about Derek’s knew life, the people he spent his time with now and occasionally a few secrets about how to survive in the desert.

He should’ve felt sad. He should’ve felt regret and loss since his girlfriend had just broken up with him. Instead Stiles felt more like himself than he had in a long time. Back in the empty hotel room he’d expected to stumble from one empty spot she’d left to the other, missing the phone calls he’d hated for their constant complains.

He didn’t.

All Stiles really felt was free again. He found himself enjoying Mexico and took personal sports in driving Derek crazy from time to time, encouraged by the laughter of the other pack members. He actually liked them. When they’d been sitting together at a bar one night, a thing he’d never thought he’d be doing with Derek, there had been a message from his dad.

“I am glad you finally did it.”

Stiles hadn’t done anything but regarding the fact Susannah had left a few days earlier, he assumed his dad happened to stumble into her, wondering why she wasn’t with Stiles. A moment Stiles only had stared at his phone until a slight smile spread across his face.

“Stiles, what was it again?” someone shouted from the other end of the table, ripping him out of his thoughts.

“Grumpywolf?”

They were in the middle of a conversation over there Stiles had happen to miss completely. Derek, however, was giving a perfect example with his brows raised at him in a warning manner, making Stiles grin.

“Sourwolf.”

Derek frowned even more. And Stiles moved a bit backwards - just in case. He really liked his nose nowadays.

“Hey, they asked. Besides it’s not my fault your face has serious malfunctions regarding the muscles around your mouth, so you only actually smile when it’s completely creepy.”

Derek got up and Stiles run for it, the pack laughing loudly enough to hear them around the corner still.

He’d missed this.

The stern face, the grumpiness the sarcastic comments… well the pain not so much.

“You know we could use an alpha in Beacon Hills now that Scott is gone for college,” he’d said the last day of his trip.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

He’d known the answer. It was ridiculous anyways.

“Well I have to admit it didn’t work well last time,” Stiles said, seeing Derek look at him from the corner of his eye. For a moment neither of them said anything.

“But you’ve changed. With the alpha and all… I mean you did great.”

Derek’s brows shot up but there wasn’t the threat they usually held. Their eyes met for a moment and again Stiles thought there was something else. He didn’t ask for it.

“What? How I recall it there had been several major patience troubles back then. Like snapping,  threatening people to death - almost - what could only be prevented by the appearance some major evilish evils but couldn’t prevent several major physical harms-”

“Shut up, Stiles.”

“What? I am sure I can come up with quite a list here and maybe someone wants to add something. I don’t know I can find enough paper, though, becauses the list is going to be looong and-”

“Stiles.”

“... and maybe this conversation can wait until later.”

Derek shot him another one of his glares and Stiles raised his arms into the air.

“Or maybe it can wait like forever. Like we are not talking about it at all.”

He’d missed this more than he’d known.

Derek had changed so much over those years, surprising Stiles constantly over the last week. Yet meeting him had made Stiles feel back home in a strange way. The planning, the snapping, the arguments.

So bidding his farewell wasn’t as easy as he would have guessed.

When he entered the building Derek looked up from where he was leaning over a blue print and walked over to him.

“Leaving?”

“Yeah… Vacation’s over.”

He felt strangely awkward now and despite he knew exactly why he came here Stiles didn’t know what to say. Eventually he said: “I just came to say bye and… I wanted to say thank you.”

Two brows shot up questioningly.

“For saving Susannah and all that.”

Derek looked down onto his hands for a second before his eyes returned to Stiles’.

“Not for that.”

There was another moment of silence. Neither of them said anything and eventually the younger one couldn’t bear it anymore.

“Well I gotta go then.”

Stiles made a step back.

“Happy uh… alpharing.”

He turned at Derek’s raised brows and that was it. They wouldn’t see each other again. Most likely they will end up in one or the other supernatural shit again. Maybe whatever it was would actually kill them this time.

Stiles turned for another time and found Derek still on the same spot, watching him.

“... Take care.”

He didn’t wait for an answer.

***

Stiles stared at the form he was supposed to fill with words blankly. He’d been gone for a week and all that was waiting for him were dozens of speeding tickets, complaints about loud music and old ladies reporting her missing cats. It was the most boring thing he’d done since he’d left for his vacation trip and sometimes he wondered if people would ever recognize how scarily close they were to death all the time.

Then again it was his job to keep it that way. And basically he liked it. No corpses, no oddities that turned out to be supernatural threats, just good old boring normality. But why on earth did they spare _all_ damn formulas of the week for him?!

He looked over to his father’s office where he could see him talk to Parrish. The latter caught his gaze and raised his cup of coffee with a grin, causing Stiles to glare at him in a way that actually could have challenged Derek.

“Deputy, huh? You didn’t mention that in Mexico.”

Stiles almost fell from his chair before his eyes darted up and found just _the_ Derek Hale standing in front of his desk. For a second he couldn’t do anything but gape at the older man in perfect fish style then a smile started to spread across his face.

So there they had a new alpha.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hopefully you enjoyed reading this story and we wish you a lot of fun with this weeks entries! **Team13: The Sunny Squad** says good bye to all of you. Hopefully we'll see you again at the next event! :)
> 
> Searching for the poll? You can vote for your favorit teams here.
> 
>  
> 
>  **Edit 04.09.2016: _Maturity_ Sequel In Process!**  
>  After some people asked me to and there were things I'd have loved to write more about if I had more time, I decided to write a second part for _Maturity_. Currently I am working on the plotline and a bit graphic material for it. You wanna know what happens after Derek returns to Beacon Hills? More about the live he lived in Mexico and the people that were part of his pack? Stay tuned then, it's right ahead! You can find all news and progress on my tumblr blog [GS Writings](http://gswritings.tumblr.com).
> 
> And thanks a lot for reading this! :D


End file.
